Sisters Across the Table: The INSPIRE Women at the Global Faith Forum
By the Women of INSPIRE, Multi-Faith Neighbors Network
When the women of INSPIRE gathered at the Global Faith Forum (GFF) in February 2026, they did not arrive as strangers navigating a crowded conference hall. They came as sisters, bonded by vulnerability, shared calling, and a deep commitment to building beloved community across lines of faith and difference.
For many, the journey to the GFF began long before arriving in Washington, D.C.
From Invitation to Calling
Pam Davis of Chicago traces her story back to 2024, when she first encountered the Multi-Faith Neighbors Network (MFNN).
“I started my journey with MFNN in 2024, when I was deeply grateful to be invited to a retreat. At the time, I did not know what to expect and had no idea how meaningful that experience would become or how profoundly it would shape and change my life.”
What began as a simple invitation soon became something much more. In December 2025, Pam attended the inaugural INSPIRE Women’s Retreat, a gathering that would ignite a movement of women committed to faith-rooted bridge-building.
“At the INSPIRE retreat, I met the kindest, most open, and authentic group of women. In less than 48 hours, it felt as though I had gained 22 new sisters. There was honesty, vulnerability, deep listening, and so much generosity of spirit. It was one of those rare spaces where you can show up exactly as you are and feel fully seen and received.”
The retreat in Texas was marked by tears and laughter, prayer and joy. As Dea Ajdini of Houston poetically recalls:
“We cried and laughed, and prayed as one,
From Downtown Dallas, beneath the tree.
To Fr. Worth shops, an exciting spree,
Friendships blossomed, wild and free.”
By the time the women reunited at the GFF just two months later, the sisterhood was already firmly rooted.
As MFNN INSPIRE Director Niki Roberts reflects:
“Women from different faith traditions are discovering that friendship is stronger than difference and powerful enough to influence communities.”
A Sacred Space Without Ego
The GFF brought together hundreds of scholars, leaders, and practitioners from around the world, people of different faiths and backgrounds united by a shared desire to foster understanding and authentic relationships.
For Pam, the experience was nothing short of awe-inspiring:
“I had the privilege of listening to scholars, learning new perspectives, and engaging in meaningful conversations. I was surrounded by hundreds of people from around the world — from different faiths and backgrounds — all committed to getting to know people different from themselves, to respecting those differences, and to developing deep, authentic relationships.”
For the women of INSPIRE, the GFF felt less like a conference and more like a reunion.
“It was a grand reunion as we met at the Global Faith Forum, where we increased our knowledge and understanding of living in shared spaces with others from different backgrounds and faiths,” Roberts said.
But what stood out most was not prestige; it was posture.
Le-Toyja Averhart of Maryland reflects:
“The Global Faith Forum left a lasting imprint on my soul, provoking a sense of reverence for the moment in which we live and our role as God lovers in a global society. There was such reverence, honor, and humility in that space— so many leaders, so much prestige, and so little ego.”
In a world often marked by division and competition, the GFF embodied something different: reverence, dignity, and mutual esteem.
“We remain committed to the work and thankful for the high call to community transformation, honoring the imago dei and esteeming the dignity of our neighbor, no matter where they are found.”
The words of theologian Miroslav Volf echoed in their hearts:
“I love you because you are.”
Front Row to the Future
The INSPIRE women did not sit on the sidelines. As Dea writes:
“In D.C., at the GFF,
A February gathering to say ‘YES’.
Front row seats, a joyful sight,
Sisters now, filled with such light.”
They met high officials. They expanded their circles. They connected with more women across states and traditions. They witnessed what becomes possible when faith communities choose relationship over rivalry.
“From different faiths, our hearts align,
Friendship’s bond,
Truly divine.”
For Pam, the reunion with her “new sisters” was as life-giving as the content of the GFF itself:
“The power of that experience — both the learning and the reunion — was truly life-giving. It strengthened my faith, expanded my understanding, and deepened my commitment to building spaces where connection across difference is not only possible, but transformative.”
Roberts believes the real significance of gatherings like the GFF lies not only in the public conversations but in the quieter moments between women.
“The most meaningful work of peace rarely happens on a stage. It happens when women sit together, listen deeply, and build relationships that cross every boundary.”
Building What We Experienced
The GFF was not an endpoint; it was fuel.
Pam is now building an INSPIRE group in Chicago:
“What began as an invitation has grown into commitment and a calling… I am profoundly grateful to be part of this growing community and excited to continue building INSPIRE here in Chicago.”
Across the country, INSPIRE women are carrying the same flame, rekindled in Washington, first ignited in Texas. They are expanding circles and opening gates, cultivating sacred spaces where women of different faiths can encounter one another not as abstractions, but as sisters.
As Roberts observes:
“When women gather with open hearts and open hands, they become architects of peace in their homes, their cities, and their world.”
Those gatherings often begin simply, with conversation, curiosity, and the courage to sit across from someone different.
“What often begins as a simple conversation grows into something far greater, a quiet movement of friendship, understanding, and peace that reaches far beyond the room.”
As Dea’s closing lines declare:
“INSPIRE team, strong and true,
Peace in the world, we’ll build with you.”
The women of INSPIRE left the GFF not simply inspired, but commissioned, to honor the dignity, worth, and value in every neighbor, to love across difference, and to build communities where dignity is not debated but embodied.
And together, they are saying “yes.”